At many building construction sites as well as other settings, there is a significant need for caulks, silicones and adhesives. These products are typically sold in tubes, some of which are cardboard. Many projects require the use of more than one type of caulk, silicone or adhesive. The amount needed can be difficult to carry from one place to another on the project site, may be easily damaged and are not easily removed once contact is made with (i.e., if inadvertently dispensed on or applied to) unintended surfaces.
Various caulks, silicones, adhesives and other like compounds are used in carpentry, construction and painting professions. Some projects require 4 to 5 different types of caulks, silicones or adhesives to complete a project. For example, bathroom projects require as many as 5 different varieties of these products, each one of which is used for a different application in a bathroom. The most common types of such products are rubber types such as clear or white rubber silicone, adhesives like Liquid Nail®, clear and white acrylics that come in paintable or non-paintable varieties. A worker or amateur “do-it-yourself” can have a number of different tubes of caulk on hand for simple bathroom jobs. The tubes for these products are generally heavy on one end and light on the other. Because of the weight imbalance, dropping and damaging tubes is common.
Some caulks, silicones, and adhesives are sold in disposable cardboard containers. For example, Liquid Nail® brand adhesive, other caulk compounds, window glazing products, roof flashing adhesives and concrete crack fill are sold in either disposable cardboard tubes or disposable plastic tubes. Most tubes are carried in a box or loose in a bucket. Busy workers often toss heavy hammers and pipe wrenches in a bucket and damage unprotected tubes. Tubes stored in a cardboard box are dropped and often damaged as a result of rough handling and dropping due to box sides splitting
Caulk, silicone and adhesive nozzle tips are cut on an angle to facilitate the ability for visual preciseness when applying. When use of a caulk tube, for example, is done, some caulk tends to seep or ooze from the nozzle, and then harden because the angle-cut tips cannot be closed completely. Often, nail or screw insertions are used as closures by many workers. Again, because of the necessary angle of the cut, these methods are usually, ineffective.